1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure is generally directed to strollers, and more particularly to a stroller seat that has a release mechanism and a recline mechanism and that is reclinable on, releasable from, and reversible on a stroller.
2. Description of Related Art
Stroller performance standards include an 8 inch ball test. This test requires that an 8 inch diameter plastic ball be able to pass between the stroller seat (usually the seat bottom) and the passenger seat tray or child's tray, regardless of seat incline or recline, as the stroller is tilted forward. This requirement is intended to prevent a child's head from being caught or trapped between the tray and seat. This can happen if the child is improperly harnessed or not harnessed in the seat allowing them to slide down under the tray.
Many known strollers, and particularly U.S. domestic stroller models, have a child's tray that is attached to the frame sides of the stroller. The tray generally extends across the stroller frame in front of the child seat and usually includes one or more integrated cup holders. The tray typically stays stationary as the stroller seat is reclined. The tray is independent of the seat's reclining motion because on conventional fixed-seat strollers, only the rear surface or seat back of the seat can be reclined. Thus, the seat back moves independent of the seat bottom, the rest of the seat, the child's tray, and the stroller frame. This arrangement must pass the 8 inch ball test with the seat in any incline position.
Many existing strollers are offered as part of a travel system and, thus, allow an infant carrier or infant car seat (ICS) to be placed directly over and onto the child seat of the stroller. This allows the stroller to essentially be converted to one that can transport an infant that would otherwise be too young or too small to sit in the stroller's dedicated child seat. This ICS install feature creates the modular travel system. These types of strollers also employ a passenger or child's tray across the seat. On such strollers, the passenger or child's tray supports the head-end of the ICS when placed on the stroller. The foot end of the ICS is typically supported by the seat structure, such as by resting on the seat bottom of the stroller's dedicated child seat.
Many manufacturers have produced similar types of strollers and travel systems. Some of these strollers have replaced the passenger tray with an arm bar or transverse arm support extending across the front of the dedicated child seat on the stroller. The arm bar typically supports the head end of the ICS when mounted to the stroller.
Some manufacturers have produced strollers with a dedicated child seat that reclines in one-piece. In other words, the seat back and seat bottom both tilt in unison when inclined or reclined. Such seats may be removable or reversible as well. However, none of these other stroller designs with such removable or reversible seats are known to allow the ICS to be placed directly onto the toddler seat to create a travel system. These types of strollers are typically not compatible for mounting an ICS.
Also, virtually all of the removable or reversible stroller seats currently known in the market use a child arm bar rather than a child tray. The arm bar is affixed to the seat and not the stroller frame so as not to interfere with seat removal or replacement and so that the seat can pass the 8 inch ball test standard noted above. If a child's tray with cup holders were provided in place of the arm bar, it would also move with the seat when seat is reclined. This is because the seat bottom and the tray would move in unison with the seat back. If the tray were mounted to the seat, its contents would spill when the seat orientation, and thus the tray orientation, is altered during recline. If the tray were provided and mounted to the frame, the spill problem could be resolved. However, the gap between the seat and tray would vary when the seat is reclined, thus affecting the stroller's ability to meet the 8 inch ball test. Either there would be a small gap and thus no room for the child's legs between the seat bottom and tray with the seat in a reclined position, or there would be a large gap and thus the seat would fail the 8 inch ball test in the inclined position. Thus, an arm bar affixed to the removable seat is utilized instead of a tray affixed to the stroller frame in conjunction with such seats. These types of one-piece reclining seats, whether removable, reversible, or neither, therefore do not allow the child to have food/drink storage within easy reach.
Again, there are a number of strollers on the market that have removable, reversible toddler seats. These strollers typically have one or more release actuators for unlatching and removing the seat. The typical release actuator is located in an area that makes lifting the seat awkward, particularly if the seat is loaded with the weight of a child. In most cases, the release actuator is centered near the geometric midpoint of the seat frame. In contrast, the center-of-gravity of a small child is generally much closer to the head tube of the seat. The seat carrying a child thus has a center of gravity closer to the head end of the seat. This weight imbalance, combined with the hand position required to actuate the release mechanism prior to lifting the seat, makes grasping and lifting the seat awkward and/or difficult, particularly with the child in the seat. The awkward grip on the seat and the weight imbalance can potentially make it difficult for a parent or caregiver to keep the seat level during removal from the stroller. Manufacturers typically state that such a removable seat should not be removed or replaced from the stroller while a child is in the seat. However, it is possible that a consumer might ignore such a warning and remove and/or reverse the child's seating position with the child still seated in the seat.